The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi offers several amazing and generous awards! We will discuss a few of these awards and grants and how to apply for them. Need assistance with paying to study abroad? Your dissertation? Professional studies? Come find out how Phi Kappa Phi can help! 

If you’re interested in leadership, stick around as we talk about the value of leadership and learn some great methods for developing your leadership skills! 

Pizza and drinks will be provided. Cool door prizes too! 

The event will take place in room 216 of the Performing Arts and Humanities Building Wednesday, November 8, 2017 · Noon - 1 PM

Reserve your spot today by registering at: https://my.umbc.edu/groups/phikappaphi/events/53656

According to the 2015 National College Health Assessment, 85 percent of students felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year, and 30 percent of students reported that stress had negatively affected their academic performance within the past year. One way to cope with the almost perpetual stress of college is to meditate.

Meditating has been used for centuries to deepen one’s understanding of self and emotions. Meditation allows one to enter deep relaxation and enhance their emotional side. It has been proven to lower blood pressure, slow down brain aging, increase alertness, provide pain relief, reduce ADHD and reduce stress.

Meditation can reduce stress by clearing the mind of thoughts that have been building up throughout the day. By creating space in the mind and identifying what is important, one increases his or her mental resources. This practice allows participants to develop the skills necessary to manage stress. This is done by focusing on the present, reducing negative emotions, increasing imagination and creativity and increasing self-awareness.

Looking for a place on campus to begin this practice?

Join the Meditation Club at UMBC! The club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 – 2 p.m. in the Commons. They also meet on Fridays from 12 – 1 p.m. in the University Center. The general meeting consists of moving meditation and 15-minute intervals. The Meditation Club officially became a club in spring 2016. It was started as a way to allow people a place to meditate together.

The current president is senior Alyssa Lambert who is an information system major. Lambert feels that meditation is beneficial to the college student.

“Meditation helps you get away from it all for a moment and relax and puts you in an environment that is dedicated to you focusing your mind. It’s a lot easier to do in a group because that means you can commit to the practice,” she said.

When club members were asked why they prefer the group they responded that it “is relaxing and easier to do with others.”  Meditation Club plans to have a retreat sometime in November and December.

The mindfulness retreat this November will focus on being “mindful, and appreciative.” There will be various meditations such as sitting, moving and walking. The retreat will also have Rev Nam, from the Won Buddhism temple, lead in some activities. While November’s retreat theme will be Thanksgiving, December’s retreat will be focused on “togetherness.”

There are also other places on campus to continue this practice such as the Mind Spa, located in the Counseling Center. The Mind Spa offers a space to meditate. They also offer instructions on how to use the various mindfulness tools they house, including biofeedback, aromatherapy and light therapy.

In preparation for the Business Managers Meeting on November 6, 2017, we are sponsoring a renaming contest.  Going forward, the last hour of the Business Managers Meeting is being designated for the Shared Services Centers Town Hall Meeting.   We also want the new name to be inviting to all interested attendees for topics pertinent to administrative professionals throughout campus. A $25 gift card will be awarded to the winning submission, so get your creative juices flowing!

The criteria for the renaming contest are as follows:

1.       Inclusive- The name needs to denote that all are welcome to attend.

2.       Creative- Think outside the box.

3.       Notable Acronym- Check the title you submit to verify that when changed into an acronym, it’s likeable and memorable.

All entries should be emailed to Desiree Stonesifer, at sdesiree@umbc.edu.  Entries should be submitted by November 3, 2017.  Following the meeting you will be able to vote for your name preference on the myUMBC Business Managers Meeting Group page.

If you have any questions please contact Desiree Stonesifer, at sdesiree@umbc.edu or 410-455-1642.

Desiree Stonesifer on behalf of Ben Lowenthal

SAHAP Students:

Please be sure that your phone and calendar are set to Eastern Standard Time when booking advising appointments using Google Calendar.    

This will avoid unnecessary confusion for everyone!  Thank you!

Temitope Ibitoye is a Chemical Engineering major who will graduate in 2019.

My research is titled, "Photolysis of Macrolide Antibiotics at 253.7 NM". I work with Dr. Lee Blaney in the Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering department. Research in the Blaney Laboratory focuses on the intersection of environmental, analytical, organic, and inorganic chemistry. Our primary research interests are the (1) fate, transport, and toxicity of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in natural and engineered systems and (2) recovery of vital resources to ensure sustainable development. My advisor from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program set up a 6-week rotation in Dr. Blaney’s laboratory. After that, Dr. Blaney invited me to continue bworking in his laboratory. He also encouraged me to apply for the Undergraduate Research Award (URA).

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do? One of my life goals is to help solve the global water crisis. I knew that one way that I could do this was to study Environmental Engineering during my undergraduate career. When I started at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County I learned that there was a lab on campus that conducts research concerning water quality, and I knew that I had to join this lab.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA? I had just completed the first semester of my sophomore year when I applied for the URA. I had completed about 6 months of research and had just passed my Chemical Engineering gateway requirements.

How much did your mentor help you with the application? I am still learning to write technical papers, but my mentor helped revise my application multiple times. He gave me valuable advice on writing and communicating my research.

What has been the hardest part about your research? There was a learning curve when I first joined the lab. I joined the lab in the spring semester of my freshman year. Many of the experiments I would run required knowledge that I had not acquired in class yet. I had to learn difficult concepts and apply them for my research.

What was the most unexpected thing? I did not expect to enjoy data analysis as much as I do. Deciphering the results I receive after weeks of research is very enjoyable.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes? All of my research requires skills that I am learning in my engineering and chemistry courses. As I learn more in my classes, I get a better grasp on the research that I am conducting.

What else are you involved in on campus? I am a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. Last semester, I was an athletic tutor, and about a year ago I volunteered weekly at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? I would tell all students to try it out! Many people are scared that they do not have enough knowledge to participate in research, but that is not true! Nobody expects you to know everything from the get-go. You learn so much as you conduct research. 

What are your career goals? I would like to obtain a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and continue working in water quality research. I would like to work to create water quality technology that can be used in lower resource regions.

Want to be a URA Scholar like Temitope? Apply for a URA award: https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/forms/

Questions? Contact Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu

ur.umbc.edu

Attend the upcoming workshop on how to write a winning research proposal for a URA award: This Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 12-12:50pm in 113 Sherman Hall A-wing!

This past month, students may have noticed a book popping up all over campus. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Purple Hibiscus” was available for free at the circulation desk in the library and at the campus branch of PNC Bank. The free books were sponsored by PNC, as it supports Maryland Humanities’ One Maryland One Book Program.

The intent of the program is to encourage people state-wide to form a community by reading the same book and discussing the 2017 One Maryland One Book theme: home and belonging. UMBC partnered with the Baltimore County Public Library in its participation with the annual event, and held its own book discussion this past Wednesday, Oct. 18 in the library gallery.

“Purple Hibiscus” is Adichie’s first novel, originally published in 2003. Since then, Adichie has published three additional books: “Half of a Yellow Sun,” “The Thing Around Your Neck,” and “Americanah.” Adichie has also given two TED talks; one of them, which is entitled “We Should All Be Feminists,” has been featured in Beyoncé’s hit song “Flawless.” In September, Adichie engaged in a small Maryland book tour, making stops at the Baltimore Book Festival at the Inner Harbor, Calvert High School in Frederick, and Gaithersburg High School.

The discussion, which attracted a nicely-sized crowd, was led by four UMBC students who asked the audience questions written by One Maryland One Book. These questions prompted readers to reflect on their own personal experiences and relate them to the book; for example, one student asked, “How does environment shape our worldview and serve to either empower or silence us?”

The novel revolves around fifteen-year old Kambili, her older brother Jaja, and her parents as Nigeria undergoes a military coup. Although Kambili leads a wealthy, privileged life, her father, Eugene, physically and emotionally abuses the family. It isn’t until Kambili and her brother are sent to live with their more liberal aunt that the siblings get a glimpse of freedom. The purple hibiscus flowers are meant to represent experimentation and change, something that is unnatural yet beautiful.

The book talk was organized by UMBC’s Services Development Librarian, Simmona Simmons. This is the second time she’s organized UMBC’s participation in the One Maryland One Book Program. “I thought it would be nice for students because of the book’s culture,” said Simmons. “Two of the students on the discussion panel are Nigerian.”

Last year, the choice of Maryland’s One Book was “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. “All American Boys” is a 2016 Coretta Scott King Author Honor book, and a “New York Times” bestselling novel that focuses on racial tensions and police brutality. A rich offering of events related to both “Purple Hibiscus” and the theme of home and belonging is made available by Maryland Humanities at www.mdhumanities.org/events.